Month: April 2019

Today I am excited to be sharing my review for A Little Hotel in Cornwall (Book One) to celebrate publication day. Massive thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to take part.

If you are looking for a short story to slot in your TBR pile then look no further, this book is just 120 pages but you are instantly pulled into the life of Maisie Clark as she sets about making her dreams a reality.

Maisie is a struggling writer who is looking for a mentor linked to the writing programme she has just completed, so she listens to her lecturers advise about taking matters into her own hands and sets off to the stunning location of Cornwall. This book is sure to make you want to keep reading and see how life changes direction for Maisie upon her arrival in Cornwall and see what other surprises are coming her way.

I really enjoyed this story, it is a fun and upbeat read that will make you smile throughout. The characters are really easy to visualise from the descriptions and are quite quirky to really capture you and make you want to keep reading.

A short story that will keep you turning the pages to see if life is finally headed in the direction that Maisie is looking for or if it is all a dream that is not destined to become her reality.

Book Blurb

Struggling American waitress and aspiring novelist Maisie Clark dreams of becoming a full-time writer — even though in real life she’s just lost her chance at an exclusive writer’s mentorship program that would give her novel its big break. Desperate, she decides to take a chance and ask her favourite writer, a celebrated but reclusive English novelist, to help her find a second chance.

When she receives the author’s reply in an envelope with a Cornish postmark, Maisie decides not to take the writer’s half-hearted ‘no’ for an answer. With nothing to lose, she takes off for the author’s last known location, a beautiful hotel on Cornwall’s western coast. But when the hotel mistakes her for the latest applicant for a maid’s position, Maisie finds herself given an opportunity too good to lose … and a chance for a summer adventure far bigger than she ever imagined.

Surrounded by breathtaking Cornwall and working in an elegant hotel, Maisie’s world becomes one of secret identities, quirky friends, and unintentional mishaps — and despite reminders of past relationship disasters, a certain handsome, charming local resident Sidney Daniels has her conflicted about her heart’s desires, too.

Will Maisie find the chance she’s been waiting for — and a possible new romance — in her perfect Cornish summer?

About the Author

Laura Briggs is the author of several chick lit and romance stories, including the Top 100 Amazon UK seller ‘A Wedding in Cornwall’. She has a fondness for vintage style dresses (especially ones with polka dots), and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern day mysteries. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with family, caring for her pets, going to movies and plays, and trying new restaurants.

I am so excited to be able to share with you my review for the latest gem the brilliant Bridesmaids by Zara Stoneley. I loved The Wedding Date which I read this time last year and was so excited to hear she had another book coming out.

If you are looking for a light hearted read then this is the book for you, it is full of love, laughter and some rather large secrets. I devoured this book in just a couple of short days as once I had started reading I wanted to know what was going to come next and whether or not Jane would follow her head or her heart in all the decisions she kept needing to make.

A brilliant story about friendship and how sometimes what might be the right decision is the hardest decision to make where your closest friends are involved. As this story progresses you begin to realise that there are more secrets coming out of the woodwork and as each person confides in someone else in the group confusion and doubt begins to creep in. As I got further into the story, I found it harder and harder to put down as I just had to know what was going to happen next.

I love the characters that Zara Stoneley creates, she describes them in such a way that they feel like they are your best friends as you are reading about their latest dilemmas and you hang on each word to see what comes next. Another brilliant read from the extremely talented Zara Stoneley and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Book Blurb

Meet Rachel, the beautiful bride with BIG plans for the perfect day! The venue is a castle and the dress is designer. It’s just a shame her husband is a rat.

Maddie and Sally have only one thing in common – they both love the same man!

Beth is a newly single mum with a mystery baby daddy. Surely the father isn’t someone the girls all know?

And then there’s Jane, the glue holding them all together, but being dumped doesn’t make her the happiest bridesmaid…especially with gorgeous flatmate Freddie complicating things.

Will the bride say, ‘I Do!’? Or will her bridesmaids save the day…and find love along the way?

About the Author

Zara Stoneley is the USA Today bestselling author of The Wedding Date.

Born in a small village in the UK, she wanted to be a female James Herriot, a spy, or an author when she grew up. After many (many) years, and many different jobs, her dream of writing a bestseller came true.

She writes about friendship, dreams, love, and happy ever afters, and hopes that her tales make you laugh a lot, cry a little, and occasionally say ‘ahhh’.

Zara now lives in a Cheshire village with her family, a lively cockapoo called Harry, and a very bossy (and slightly evil) cat called Saffron.

Zara’s bestselling novels include ‘No One Cancels Christmas’, ‘The Wedding Date’, ‘The Holiday Swap’, ‘Summer with the Country Village Vet’, ‘Blackberry Picking at Jasmine Cottage’ and the popular Tippermere series – ‘Stable Mates’, ‘Country Affairs’ and ‘Country Rivals’.

Today is my turn on the blog tour for Love and Other Things to Live for by Louise Leverett. This book is different to what I expected and I thoroughly enjoyed it and I hope my review will encourage you to grab yourself a copy! Many thanks to Nina Douglas & HQ Stories for inviting me to take part and read this brilliant book.

When I saw the book cover, the colours jumped at me straight away and I was requesting to take part and read the book, as I just knew I would enjoy it. This story follows the ups and downs of Jess who feels she has reached adulthood and is still lacking directing, throughout we follow her on/off relationship with Charlie whilst she is attempting to carve her own successful career.

I felt that this story highlights how everyone constantly seeks approval from their peers and those they come into contact with on a daily basis, whilst constantly comparing themselves and their achievements. I found this an engrossing read that covers mental health and the constant pressures of today’s society.

Jess has a friendship group that she has been part of for many years and they play a huge part in this story as they are a significant part of her life. The impacts and pressures of the current world around us are portrayed well and make you stop and think about the differences between our friendships in our younger years compared to our children’s experiences with friendships as the world and pressures around them keep changing.

From the beginning I was routing for Jess to commit to her dream and prove to herself she could do it and that she had nothing to prove to anyone else. A brilliant book that I enjoyed and is so relevant and insightful into today’s ever changing society.

Book Blurb

Jessica Wood is an aspiring photographer living in London. She’s had her heart broken, and her friends have pieced it back together again.

But across the neon lights of Soho, in the smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke, on every night bus, in every song, every time she tries to forget: she remembers him.

Now, in a battle between the past and the future, choosing between having a life and making a living, finding her feet or spreading her wings, Jessica must ask herself: who is she really living for?

About the Author

Louise Leverett graduated from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London on a full scholarship before moving on to study at the Lee Strasberg Institute of Film in New York.
Since establishing her own business ‘Rock the Tribes’ she is now working on a collection of writings that will eventually be turned into adaptations for screen.

When Julia finds out she is poorly she takes extreme steps to try and spare her children and her husband what she went through when she lost her Mum to cancer.

I found this a deeply moving story of how your own experience of loss can affect your decisions when the scenario is reversed. Julia plans to leave everything behind, but life and the Pelican she befriends has other ideas and she finds herself making new friends.

A story of selflessness to try and spare her family pain and unhappy memories. An emotional read that takes you on a journey with Julia and makes you contemplate what is the link between The Pelican and death at these beach huts.

Book Blurb

“Because life is about living…”

Julia has never been one to surrender without a fight, but when she receives a devastating diagnosis, she has a decision to make.

Even after thirty years, she can still see her mother slowly fading away with every dose of chemo, every round of radiation, and every lost shred of hope. No, she won’t do it… not to her family… and not to herself!

Without warning, she packs up her belongings and disappears, leaving behind a life that, by all accounts, had been as perfect as they come, and a distraught family full of questions.

Finding peace in a beach house in Northern California turns out to have its complications though. While only a handful of other residents share the tiny beach community, each one has brought their own baggage and developed their own way of dealing with it. All Julia wants is to be left alone, but that simply does not seem to be an option, especially when there’s a persistent bird that declares her to be his new best friend.

Haunted by the shadows of the past, Julia is struggling to cope with the present. Will she have the strength to do this alone and eventually follow through with her plan? Will her family, divided by mixed reactions to being abandoned, come together to try and track her down? And what is the deal with that pelican of hers?

The Pelican will be reduced to £1.99 on Amazon for the duration of the blog tour

About the Author

Born and raised in Germany, M.Naidoo lives in Northern California with her husband, two daughters, and three dogs. One of them, Dusty, a spunky terrier mix, found its way into her debut novel.

When she is not in front of her computer, pounding out story lines and characters, she enjoys reading, movies, spending time with her family, and long walks on the beach – her proverbial ‘happy place’. M’s love for the beach and ocean shine through in the vivid descriptions of the coast in The Pelican.

“Juggling my life as a writer and a full-time ‘real’ job has its challenges. I don’t get to spend half as much time as I’d like doing what I love, and there are never enough hours in the day. Still, I feel extremely lucky to be following my passion, and I am enjoying every minute of it. Getting here has been one heck of a ride!”

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Today I am excited to be taking part in the blog tour for It’s My Birthday, many thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the offer to take part.

I absolutely loved this book from the first couple of chapters. The storyline covers off major life events relating to IVF and infertility in a sensitive manner whilst highlighting you don’t always know what people are dealing with and that happiness can be found when it is least expected.

Throughout this brilliant story I loved the dynamics between Elliot and Karen and how this is all built upon their random chance meeting. The characters were brilliantly written, totally loveable and made me connect with them instantly.

I picked this up expecting a light hearted read and was swept along on a brilliant journey with Karen, Elliot and Sophie that left me feeling emotional for all that they had experienced and what was yet to come.

A superb book that I loved reading cover to cover, a brilliant balance of emotion and humour and I am so pleased to be able to share my review and recommend you grab yourself a copy.

Book Blurb

… i’ll cry if I want to.
Oh boy, another birthday …
Karen could be excused for crying on her birthday, especially as it’s the first one since her husband got on a plane to the States and never came back. Then there’s the fact that her workmates were practically bribed to attend her birthday meal. But when a restaurant double booking leads to her sharing a table with single dad Elliot and his daughter, things start looking up.

As Karen gets to know Elliot she experiences feelings she thought she’d never have again. But is it enough? Or will the thing that destroyed Karen’s previous relationship also ruin things with Elliot?

About the Author

Hannah Pearl was born in East London. She is married with two children and now lives in Cambridge.

She has previously worked as a Criminology researcher, as a Development Worker with various charities and even pulled a few pints in her time.

In 2015 she was struck down by Labrynthitis, which left her feeling dizzy and virtually housebound. She has since been diagnosed with ME. Reading has allowed Hannah to escape from the reality of feeling ill. She read upwards of three hundred books during the first year of her illness. When her burgeoning eReader addiction grew to be too expensive, she decided to have a go at writing. In 2017 she won Simon and Schuster’s Books and the City #heatseeker short story competition, in partnership with Heat magazine, for her short story The Last Good Day.

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I was really excited to see Heidi Swain was releasing a new book and couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy.

Poppy is a brilliant, vibrant character who loves to help those around her and befriends anyone who comes into contact with her. Poppy has a dysfunctional relationship with her Mother and has worked hard to move on and establish a life for herself. Just as Poppy thinks she is getting to move to her dream home, her Mother makes contact and causes her to alter her plans.

Poppys Recipe for Life is a wonderful story about community spirit, friendship and rebuilding trust and relationships. I loved everything about this book from the communal gardens to the brilliant recipe cards, the book oozed character and everyone will fall in love with the kind heard Poppy.

A superb light hearted read that will inspire you to want to spend more time in the garden growing your own produce to then create wonderful food in your kitchen.

Book Blurb

Things haven’t always been straightforward in Poppy’s life but her dreams are finally within her reach.

She’s moving into a cottage in beautiful Nightingale Square, close to the local community garden, where she can indulge her passion for making preserves and pickles. She may not have the best relationship with her family but she is surrounded by loving friends, and feels sure that even her grumpy new neighbour, Jacob, has more to him than his steely exterior belies.

But the unexpected arrival of Poppy’s troubled younger brother soon threatens her new-found happiness and as the garden team works together to win community space of the year, Poppy must decide where her priorities lie and what she is prepared to fight for …

About the Author

Heidi Swain is the Sunday Times Top Ten best-selling author of SLEIGH RIDES AND SILVER BELLS AT THE CHRISTMAS FAIR. Her other titles include The Cherry Tree Café, Summer at Skylark Farm, Mince Pies and Mistletoe at the Christmas Market, Coming Home to Cuckoo Cottage and Snowflakes and Cinnamon Swirls at the Winter Wonderland.

Heidi lives in beautiful south Norfolk with her family and a mischievous cat called Storm. She is passionate about gardening, the countryside, collecting vintage paraphernalia and reading. Her tbr pile is always out of control!

Heidi loves to chat with her readers and you can get in touch via her website heidiswain.co.uk/ or Twitter @Heidi_Swain

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Today I am really excited to share my review for The Passengers by John Marrs as I absolutely loved this book.

After hearing lots of fantastic reviews, I picked this up to read on my train journey to the Leeds TBC meet and then became so invested in reading the book I didn’t want to put it back down.

The concept of this book is genius, the characters are brilliant whilst flawed and the whole narration of the book is superb.

In the current world where AI continues to grow and develop, this book is a revelation without being far fetched. John Marrs is a superb story teller who always brings something different to the table. This book makes you think, contemplate and reflect. I have struggled to pick up another book after finishing this at the beginning of the week as it has left me with a real book hangover. I loved it beginning to end and would highly recommend it.

Book Blurb

Eight self-drive cars set on a collision course. Who lives, who dies? You decide.

When someone hacks into the systems of eight self-drive cars, their passengers are set on a fatal collision course.

The passengers are: a TV star, a pregnant young woman, a disabled war hero, an abused wife fleeing her husband, an illegal immigrant, a husband and wife – and parents of two – who are travelling in separate vehicles and a suicidal man. Now the public have to judge who should survive but are the passengers all that they first seem?

About the Author

John Marrs is the author of #1 Best Sellers The One, The Good Samaritan, When You Disappeared, Welcome to Wherever You Are and Her Last Move. The One has been translated into 20 different languages and is to be turned into a a ten-part Netflix series in 2019.

After working as a journalist for 25-years interviewing celebrities from the world of television, film and music for national newspapers and magazines, he is now a full-time writer. His sixth book, The Passengers, is set for release in April 2019.

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I love Darcie Boleyn her books always reel me in and make me want to keep reading and this book was no exception, I am excited that this is the first book in the Penhallow Sands series. A fabulous light hearted read about love, trust, loss, heartbreak and moving on.

Holly fled her beautiful home the previous year due to heartbreak but the loss of her Grandfather brings her and baby Luke home to help her Father & Grandmother at her childhood home.

A lovely light hearted read, set in a beautiful location that will make you smile and leaves you with a magical fuzzy feeling. Another superb read by Darcie Boleyn that I didn’t want to end and I am already looking forward to the next visit to Holly at Penhallow Sands.

Book Blurb

All roads lead home…

When Holly Morton fled Penhallow Sands nearly a year ago she was determined to put the past – and Rich Turner – behind her. But now an unexpected loss and financial trouble has led her back to the family vineyard and it’s time to tell Rich the truth – he’s a father.

Surrounded by the memories of what they once shared Holly’s anger fades in the glow of Rich’s undeniable love for their son and the way he selflessly steps in to help the vineyard out of trouble. As Holly watches Rich flourish in his new role as father to baby Luke, she realises that though they can’t change the past, the future is still theirs to write…

About the Author

Darcie Boleyn has a huge heart and is a real softy. She never fails to cry at books and movies, whether the ending is happy or not. Darcie is in possession of an overactive imagination that often keeps her awake at night. Her childhood dream was to become a Jedi but she hasn’t yet found suitable transport to take her to a galaxy far, far away. She also has reservations about how she’d look in a gold bikini, as she rather enjoys red wine, cheese and loves anything with ginger or cherries in it – especially chocolate. Darcie fell in love in New York, got married in the snow, rescues uncoordinated greyhounds and can usually be found reading or typing away on her laptop.

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Today is my stop on the blog tour for Maybe Baby hosted by Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources. This is the second book in the Lisa Blake series and can be read as part of the series or as a standalone book.

I love a feel good read and this book is a brilliant mix of fun, laughter and occasionally makes you want to shed a tear.

Felicity is a busy Mum of four children who she adores but feels she has become just a Mum and is losing herself along the way. Whilst Lisa has returned to her childhood home after fleeing her previous relationship and is working hard to grow her business.

I loved the friendship between Lisa & Felicity and how as you continued to read you got to know these lovely ladies and see how they continued to rekindle their childhood friendship. A superb light hearted read that I loved from the first few pages, I fell in love with Lisa’s four legged friends and the escaping kittens.

I can’t wait to see what surprises are in store for Lisa and hope there will be more books in this brilliant series.

Book Blurb

Just when you thought you had it all worked out …

Best friends Lisa and Felicity think – maybe, just maybe – they finally have everything sorted out in their lives.

Lisa is in a happy relationship with her old flame, and busy mum Felicity has managed to reignite the passion with her husband, Pete after a romantic getaway.

But when Lisa walks in on a half-naked woman in her boyfriend’s flat and Felicity is left reeling from a shocking discovery, it becomes clear that life is nothing but full of surprises …

Author Bio

Carol Thomas lives on the south coast of England with her husband, four children and lively young Labrador. She has been a playgroup supervisor and taught in primary schools for over fifteen years, before dedicating more of her time to writing. Carol is a regular volunteer at her local Cancer Research UK shop. She has a passion for reading, writing and people watching and can often be found loitering in local cafes working on her next book.

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Today is my turn to share the price drop blitz for Reflected Destinies by Florence Keeling hosted by Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources.

Reflected Destinies has been reduced to half price on Kindle to celebrate Mother’s Day and the offer is valid Friday 29th March to Monday 1st April.

Book Blurb

Laura is happy and content, she has a new boyfriend and loves her job teaching primary school pupils in London. But when she inherits a rundown house from a stranger on her 30th birthday, memories of her prom night come flooding back, memories of a scary encounter and an antique mirror in the very same house.

Laura visits the house with all its secrets and as she unravels the clues she reveals the biggest secret of all: her own destiny. But how can you change the future if it’s already written in the past?

About the Author

Florence Keeling adopted for her pen-name her Great Grandmother’s name, chosen because of the shared birthday of April Fool’s Day. She is married with two teenage chidren. Born and raised in Coventry, England she now lives just outside in Nuneaton. Reflected Destinies is her first novel.

Florence Keeling also writes for children under the name of Lily Mae Walters.